General Chat

Crikey Mel I'm surprised you managed to get all that done after the state you were in yesterday with your hip, but I expect you had a few breaks between jobs. I'm wondering now what you use for the hair for the Tudor man? The wool I use for wool felting would probably work, but might be a bit too frizzy in appearance for a Tudor man!

Mandy your DIL is doing really well to have got through and passed the first 6 of her 12 assignments. It must be quite hard to get back into things like that after a few years so she must be rightly pleased with herself. It sounds like she really enjoys the work too which helps.

Yes the changes must confuse the binmen as well as us customers! When we aren't sure, we wait till we see someone else stick their bin out first! Our bin lorry has been replaced with a posh, all electric one now and is bigger than the old lorry. I must remind OH to order a replacement garden bin again now we can put them out. Ours has a split down one side and I can see it spilling all the garden rubbish over the road before long. Reminding OH he would have to clean it all up if that happens should prompt him to send the email to them. :-D

I keep losing posts too the last few days. I must brush against one of the keys and zap! It always happens at the end of a post too.

No Mandy I did'nt et cold hands as I only have to turn off the filter and the green light change the air over to the inner tank so it bubbles the plastic round things, leave it for 5 mins and drain that out and fill it up again and bubble it and then let that out take out the plug tube and run the filter again till it fills to the top of the inner drum and take out the tube plug from the middle and turn it all back on and its done. I have to let it bubble twice and let it out then fill it again turn the light back on and the pump and away it goes. I do swill it out with the hose but don't get wet hands. Did my pond filter too which is a bit different but bubble that one too with the air pump and then let it out and swill it turn it all back on and the air off and awy she goes.

Now I have bored you all with that I did some ironing and hoovered the bedroom and hall tidyed the uti room and flung away two t shirts and a jumper of oh's which I found in the bottom of the linen basket and thats the first time in years the bottom of the lined basket has seen the light of day. Corned the chickens and fed the wild birds but never managed to put the hair on my Tudor man.

Mince, mash and cauliflower cheese or broccoli tonight all out of the freezer so it will all go in the micro.

Evening all,

Just done a post and it whizzed off so I'll try again .

It's been a nice sunny day but so cold out ,I stripped the bed this morning and did wonder if I should hang it out but I didn't bother as it was cold .
We nipped to get eggs and potatoes and dropped some off to son and stopped and had a coffee with him ,dil was at work at the school she's doing really well with her course she's done six of the twelve assignments and passed all six.

Ann they have changed our bin day again its now back to Wednesdays instead of Tuesday, it's suppose to make the round easier for the men but it must confuse them when it keeps changing .

Sounds as if you've had a good day Mel but didn't you get cold hands doing the pond filter ,I bet the water was cold .

Hope Gill is OK it's been a while since she posted.

Right posting this incase it wihizzes off like the last one did.

Afternoon All,

It was sunny, warm and dry when we went to get OH's new glasses, but it's windy cold and showery now. We went out for a carvery for lunch, hardly a soul in there which was peaceful and the children went back to school after half term today. OH has now gone back to the opticians as his glasses need another adjustment!

Mel I was going to suggest you checked what notice you need to give when cancelling an appointment as I know ours used to fine you if you didn't let them know in good time. I think it was sensible to get fresh appointments as I know with dodgy joints it can take a while to get them going first thing in the morning!

That's good news about Jake's return next week AnnG. He will hopefully be able to get more jobs done for you then.

Having sent off objections to the warehouses yesterday, I now need to respond to correspondence concerning Colin Pitchfork's appeal and some questions that have been put forward. We have been asked what we think as we live in the area where he committed the murders of the 2 young girls. Suggestions have been put forward as to whether family, the public, the media should be able to attend the parole board hearings, which I find worrying. Having naturally highly emotive people or the media present could be very disruptive to the process and the 'baying mob' springs to mind and may influence what gets decided or reported in the press. Too much is influenced by ill informed public pressure as it is these days.

I've noticed some have put their garden bins out for tomorrow's collection so they must be restarting again. No excuse now for not getting out there and filling ours!

Yes and the second appointment is to fit them properly.

I spent just over an hour in the garden this morning doing both pond filters, both nice and clean now. I should do them more often but its been so cold or wet lately they have nly had a quicky. I actually got the air going in my pond little filter and that a first. It certainly giggles it all about the get the muck out. Pond water is good for your plants and mine drains onto the hosta bed with two Acers in it too.

Iv'e also had a hoover of the bedroom and cleaned out the pipe to the little wire free one. I wondered why it was'nt sucking up a few woodshavings off the eggs I dropped on the floor. It had a piece of polythene biscuit wrapper in it which had collected a load of fluff and a bit of grit so the pipe was'nt sucking at all and I was blaming the hoover but she was doing her best under the circumstances.

Now I have hazd something to eat I am going to do bit of ironing and hoover the hall with the other vac and open a box of birds fat pellets to fill the bin. They love those and go through two feeders a day and the LTT's are still coming so I want to keep them. I have two Goldfinches too that feed off the road down to my shed. I tried to get a pic but they would'nt stay still enough. I did get one of the big corvids on the wall this morning.

I assume you have to be early if you want a quick return for the denture. I know I did when I had my new one.

I have cancelled my appointment for Wednesday and she has given me one for April at 10.15am and then the Friday for 2pm. I would never have been able to get tere for 8.45 am on wednesday.

Morning all,

We have sunshine tis morning after another rough night wind wise yesterday.

Got up about 4.30am for the loo and could'nt get back to sleep again. Lay tossing and turning and even tried to sleep on my other side to no avail. Last time I looked at my phone was 7.56am and then I must have had a half an hours sleep so not feeling the best today now.

Worried about the dentists as I don't think I am going to beable to get there as early as they want so I shall ring them todyay and see if I can go in any later another day.

Good morning all. 4 degrees here and no frost as far as I can tell. I need to nip into town this morning to take those old notes to the post office or bank. Not raining so far so hope it will stay dry.

Heard from Jake yesterday. His hand is healing well and he hopes to be back in a week or so. I will be pleased when he is back as the little jobs that need doing are frustrating. But anyway it is good that his hand is healing well.

signing out so good night all. Hope you all sleep well.

Pain can make you tired as well Mel. You could try the long hot water bottle down that side tonight as heat increases circulation and healing. Playing some hot water over your hip in the shower tomorrow might help too. It turned dull here later but no wind yet. I hope it is fine in the morning as we are collecting OH's new glasses.

I'm glad you mentioned your rabbit, as OH still hasn't closed off that hole that's been dug under next door's fence and we don't want any more bugs bunny friends from last year getting in again.

I'm off to bed now to watch the National Trust prog I recorded after Mandy mentioned.

The wind really up here now and its been a very very wet day here all day but I did manage to have a little walk up the garden to have a look at the rabbit trap as I saw a rabbit go in it and come out again. It was'nt set right so I am hoping it will go in there again as its quite an adult one and with spring coming (I hope) I don't want lots of baby rabbits this year. My Camelia up the south facing wall is covered in blooms, it called Leonard Messel and is a double pink large flowered one. Iv'e cut nothing down upo the border this year but there are lots of little yellow primroses which have spread along the border. The deer are eating the day lillies leaves and I tried to get the sheep wire back over them to give them a bit of cover but the deer just poke their head through it.

Hav'nt done a thing apart from that all day and feed the chickens and wild birds. Feel really tired today but it could be the paracetomol Iv'e been taking. I have also got my wheelie chair in the bedroom so I can use it when I get up for the loo. Will see if it works.

Just having some bread and jam for tea tonight and a cuppa or glass of milk.

Well I have changed the bed and cleaned the bathroom plus washed the bedding and a second wash to do the bathroom mat and pedestal mat..
I have chicken thigh fillets in the slow cooker with a bought tomato and basil sauce, a small amount of tinned and some fresh tomatoes, mushrooms and carrots. I will have cauliflower with that as fewer carbs than potatoes.

It has not been a nice day here, 7 degrees, no sun almost misty but no wind ot rain. Too cold for me in the garden though.

I did a bit of admin work and read the paper on line. I also made one card but not really in the mood, a bit stressed knowing I can't make any plans because of waiting for the referred hospital appointment. And also wondering when I am going to hear from Jake. I can only think he is no better as he will be wanting to return to work as soon as he can. And knowing daughter is going to Lanzarote tomorrow for three weeks. I hate it when she is out of the country, even though we stay in touch via emails.

Afternoon All,

I had a fitful night and woke in a dream but I can't remember what it was about now. More sunshine here, but I see the south is to expect a deluge. I started the car earlier and no warning lights so fingers crossed it stays like that and saves the hassle and expense of booking into a city garage for diagnostics. OH has hoovered through this morning which was a nice surprise. I think he has a lot of work coming up soon and may not be around much to help, so it's good he got stuck in. An easy lunch today. A ready chicken dijon meal with added broc, cauli and carrots to go with it.

Mel I think you will have to rest between now and Wednesday. When my knees are bad from trying to soldier on they don't get better till I've rested them to allow them to recover with just a bit of pottering about.

Our Camelias have started flowering, always a welcome sight through the window. I just hope the frosts we are due won't spoil them. The pretty pink Chionodoxa in the front garden are covered in buds. I must remember to dig those up and move them after flowering as they are where we are making some alterations later this year. The tete a tete are all flowering too and it lifts your spirits seeing them all.

This afternoon I need to order our scripts online and do the objections to the council concerning the monstrous warehouses so I'd better make a start.

Morning all,

We had a heavy frost last night but nothing here this morning and its just that horrid yellowy grey and its been raining. Its 7 degrees and pc says heavy rain. Why do we get a nice sunny day and then its back to dull and dreary and very wet? The sky was as clear as a bell last night and all the stars were shining in the light of the moon.

I could hardly get out of bed this morning my leg and hip is so very painful and I have the dentists on Wednesday and am not sure I will be able to get there.

Have a lovely day with grandson Vera and baby etc. you'll notice how the baby has grown since you last saw them.

Good morning AnnG and all

Cold, damp and foggy here - a typical, dreary February day. All I’ve got to do this morning is get tonight’s meal in the slow cooker and then wait for family to arrive this afternoon.

Have a good day whatever you’re doing.

Good morning all 2 degrees here now but there was a frost last night. I was a bit restless but mainly slept ok. I did see the full moon at 3.30am.
No plans for today, bed stripped and bedding in the wash so probably housework.

Ann that is ok. I did get what you meant.

Vera thanks for that ‘picture’. And thank you for not sending out the photo I have never liked slapstick! Poor OH I bet he needed a shower to get rid of the smell of the dressing. I hope it was not a garlic one.

My son in law always really tightens bottle and jar tops. Daughter and I are always complaining.

Have a lovely time tomorrow with grandson and family.

I just re-read my last post which wasn't very clear AnnG. FIL had stiches to attach the graft, but the site the graft was taken from didn't need stitching.

Vera your day just gets better with surprises! It will be lovely to see the baby again won't it. They grow so fast. Only £10 for a scan at the opticians.....mine cost £25 this time but, like you, OH's are free at the hospital. Well I had to laugh at the image in my head from your description of your OH with the bottle of dressing! :-D We have disputes about pickle jar lids as I leave them loose so I can undo them easily and lift the jars with their sides, but OH tightens them and picks them up by the lids with not a good outcome sometimes when they are loose! When I still can't undo one he's used, he swears they must tighten themselves, but how does that work?

The house the couple have had built sounds ideal with the room over the garage Mel. I would love to have a room for craft stuff and be able to leave a sewing machine out and have a place for everything. They've incorporated some useful things too that will make it cheap to run as things get more epensive.

Thank you Gwyn and everyone else for my birthday greetings. I had another 2 cards in the post and so many texts and phone calls that my head’s spinning. People are so kind and generous. While I was in the shower OH took an Interflora delivery from a local florist and it was one of those packages of items. There was a small arrangement of dried flowers and grasses, which sits beautifully on a small table in the hall, a box of Belgian chocolates, a scented candle in a tin and a pack of sweet pea seeds. They were from son and dil. I am having such a lovely day, made even better by a long phone call from my lovely granddaughter in Edinburgh.

I can’t remember if I mentioned it or not but grandson and his partner and the baby have come south for a long weekend. They stayed at my daughter’s last night (his Mum) and are staying at her ex’s tonight (his Dad) and tomorrow they are coming to us for the night. We’re looking forward to seeing them, particularly the little one. Daughter and her partner will be joining us for a meal if he feels OK but at the moment he isn’t very well so it will be a last minute decision.

AnnG, I’ve heard other people say they paid £10 for the eye photographs taken at the opticians. We have never had to pay at all. The hospital scans are different from the photographs our optician takes and do take a bit longer but not so long that you can’t do it without blinking. It was something my optician saw on the pictures taken at an eye test that made him refer me to the hospital and I am so glad he did. I think to an extent you are right about the cultural differences between nations. The lady doctor. I saw seemed to have the attitude that she was the doctor and what she says goes. She certainly didn’t like me asking questions. The doc I usually see isn’t British either. I am not sure where he is from, possibly Turkey or the Middle East but he acts as though any treatment I have is the result of collaboration between us. He’s certainly prepared to listen to me.

Anyway you’ve heard more than enough of my boring medical experiences. I said I’d tell you of something else that happened on Thursday. I decided for our meal in the evening I would cook gammon steaks with some baby potatoes and sweet corn and do a side salad. We sat down to eat, OH picked up the bottle of salad dressing and shook it violently. The top flew off and the dressing flew everywhere - all over the table, both the chairs we were sitting on, the floor and mostly over OH. There was an enraged yell of “you didn’t put the top back on the bottle” but it went very quiet when I pointed out that he’s the only one who uses that dressing. I don’t like it. Then I started laughing. He did look so funny with his black jumper and trousers covered in this gunge but most of all it was him. He sat there poker faced with this stuff running down his face from his hairline and dripping off his chin. Luckily he saw the funny side and let me take a photo on condition that I didn’t send it to all and sundry so it has only gone to our son and daughter and one close friend. You’ll just have to imagine it but it could have come from an old Buster Keaton or Harold Lloyd silent film :-D :-D :-D